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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — the earth
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — in cards
  15. firm — decided
  16. suit — clothes
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — the season
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — steady
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. net — in sport
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com